Anna didn't understand why Elsa was suddenly ten times busier than she was before. During the previous weekend, when she entered her sister's room to ramble, Elsa would always humour her with an "oh really?" or a "that's cool". Now Elsa was so busy that she didn't even have time to fake a reaction to the one-sided conversations.

Anna knew it had something to do with Elsa's visit to the principal's office that day. But no matter how much she pestered her sister, Elsa refused to tell her what it was about, only reassuring her with, "I'll tell you later."

So she retreated to her room, turning on her computer, hoping to find ways to distract herself from her sister's (once again) aloofness. Opening Skype, she was disappointed to find her friend Frozen Storm was offline.

A chat bubble popped up. It was Rapunzel.

Tangledhair: hey anna i no its only nov, but do u want to get a head start on christmas shoppin?

Snowflake: oh good idea!

Tangledhair: cool ill get meg merida and aurora, wanna ask elsa?

Snowflake: ummm shes rly busy but ill ask

Tangledhair: kk
*oh did i tell u?
*i think eugene's gonna ask me out!

Snowflake: omg, rly?

Tangledhair: yea, hes been talking to me a lot
*and he said he likes someone and she has short, brown hair

Snowflake: wow ok
*do u like him?

Tangledhair: i think so

Snowflake: how do u kno?

Tangledhair: idk, i guess when he looks at me i get really flustered
*and i like talking to him
*and when we're alone i kind of get really nervous and excited at the same time

Snowflake: well congrats punzey! u finally found someone else willing to put up with u!
*i hope he asks u out soon!

Tangledhair: i know! me too
*oh i gotta go, dads comin cant let him catch me sneaking

Snowflake: kk bye

Her stomach felt a bit fluttery in anticipation for her friend. I hope I find someone who likes me too, she thought, blushing. When she was younger, she used to dream of the fairy tale princes from the bedtime stories that Elsa read to her. She was surprised that her heart leapt at the thought of having someone to hug, kiss, and love her back, someone who could share romantic dinners with her and listen to her worries. Someone she trusted whom she could share the rest of her life with.

With a grin on her face, she went to Elsa's room and knocked on the door. She turned the knob when Elsa said 'enter' absentmindedly and found her sister furiously writing amidst a pile of papers. Anna crossed the room and plopped herself down on her sister's bed.

"Hey, Elsa?"

The reply was a half-hearted hum.

"Punzey and the others wanted to know if you wanted to go Christmas shopping this weekend."

"Hm."

"So, uh, do you wanna?"

"Hm?"

"Go Christmas shopping."

"Hm."

"Do you want to go Christmas shopping with me and the others this weekend?" Anna repeated for the third time, a little impatient now.

When her sister ignored her, Anna stood up, frustrated. "If you're not going to listen to me, then don't bother inviting me in!"

With that, she marched out of the room, pointedly slamming the door on her way out. She turned and listened quietly at the door for a few moments to see if her outburst had affected Elsa to any extent, and was disappointed when she heard silence. Shaking her head, she returned to her bedroom.

Elsa threw her arms up in frustration, annoyance at her innate inability to communicate properly getting the better of her. It wasn't that she didn't want to speak to Anna, but she was afraid of answering her little sister's questions about why she was suddenly so busy.

She wanted to explain herself, she really did. But she didn't know how to do so without causing Anna hurt and disappointment.

Irritated with herself, with her mother, with her life, she grabbed the sheet of paper on her desk, violently crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into the waste bin where its brothers and sisters lay abandoned and discarded. She'd tried to write this essay for the twelfth time, failing every time to describe a satisfactory reason for applying to the stupid university.

Slumping against her desk, memories of the argument she had with her mother after the principal announced her early graduation floated back to her mind.

"I refuse to graduate early," she had said when they had returned home, stepping into her mother's office.

Her mother's lips curled into a sneer disguised as a smile. "What makes you think you have a choice, Elsa?"

"I'm the one who has to do the applications. I'm simply not going to send them in."

"You're acting like a child. What makes you think you need to be the one to complete the applications? There are many people out there I could hire to finish those applications for you. Your grades are sufficient in representing you."

"You can fake my applications, but you can't fake my attendance. If you do send in those applications, and you even accept an offer on my behalf, there's nothing you can do to make me physically attend classes."

Her mother sighed in exasperation. "Why are you reluctant to graduate, Elsa?"

"Maybe I'm tired of walking down the path you and father paved so adamantly for me. Maybe I just want to live my own life, choose what I want to do, attend college where I want to go, and major in what I am interested in. My entire life I've done nothing but comply with your outrageous demands. Have you ever even looked at Anna or I and wondered if we're happy the way our lives are? Isolated from the rest of the city in this big, stupid manor, we couldn't live normal lives like other girls our age, have sleepovers, attend birthday parties, or go on family vacations. When was the last time you even gave Anna a hug?"

Her mother only chuckled coldly. "Oh, Elsa. Look around you. Look at the glories reaped by the blood of your ancestors, the sacrifices they made for you, for the proud Arendelle bloodline. Look at the power and wealth that will be available to you when you are ready to inherit it. Do you have any idea how many people have died so you could stand here complaining like a five-year-old about the weight of your responsibilities?"

She returned her mother's cold gaze with a glare of her own. "You and Father are so blinded by the pursuit of wealth and power that you're missing how miserable you've made us. What is the point of riches and glory when it does nothing to make us happy? Why do you endlessly chase after something that makes you want more of it the more you obtain?"

To her surprise, her mother's habitually impassive eyes softened ever so slightly. "You are still young and naïve. You don't understand the cruelty of this world or the people in it, the people who smile at you under false pretenses and then stab you in the back as soon as you turn around. Remember this, Elsa. People change. People die. Power is the only real, tangible constant there is. When you have power, there is nothing to fear. Only when you have power can you control the world around you and make it safe for yourself and your family. And now you are in a position that your father nor I ever had at your age; power and status are at your doorstep, just waiting for you to grab hold, and yet you are so foolishly blinded by the falsehood of emotions like 'happiness' that you are willing to throw it all away!"

She stared incredulously at the woman before her. "What happened to you? What have you been through that has made you so withered and jaded?"

Her mother proceeded, pointedly ignoring her, "You wish to protect your sister. Have you ever felt powerless to do so? Watched her get hurt and unable to prevent it? Have you ever wished you could crush anything and everything that could do her harm?"

Immediately thinking of Hans, Elsa gritted her teeth. Her murderous expression answered her mother's questions.

"Be powerful enough to incite fear in your enemies, and no one will ever dare to harm you nor Anna again. Only a few more years, Elsa, and you could protect Anna from anything. Even now, with our influence on the school board, you could expel anyone from Arendelle High with fabricated evidence of some crime serious enough to warrant such action. And you would get away with it. Because we have power."

As much as she was tempted to inflict that upon certain people, there was still a voice of reason in the back of her head. "That's deception and slander!"

Her mother almost laughed. "In a world of swindlers and hypocrites, you must adapt. That misguided sense of morality has to be abandoned if you are to be CEO."

"I don't understand. You seem to be telling me that no one in this line of work is a decent human being."

"People are scum, Elsa. People are selfish. In this world, people will sense your weaknesses the way sharks are attracted to blood, and you must be prepared for it. For example, I can threaten Anna's freedom, and what can you do? What if I strip your sister of all rights to leave the house and lock her in isolation until the day you take over this company? Would you still defy me?"

She panicked. "You—you wouldn't! She's your daughter! That must be against the law!"

"The law? Have you learned nothing, Elsa? The law cannot touch us if we have the money."

"But she's your daughter! How could you do that to her?"

"The world is cruel. We live in a society where people climb to the top of the social pyramid by stepping on their peers. I'm afraid your sister is even more hopeless than you are when it comes to matters of the real world. Perhaps she's due a lesson as well."

Elsa's blood ran cold at the thought of the lessons she'd had with her father. "Stop. I'll do as you say. Just… just leave her out of it."

A wry smile spread across her mother's lips. "Remember who you are, Elsa."

Elsa shivered at the memory. That day, she realized that the only way for both her and Anna to escape this hell was to become the one who controlled it. She couldn't change her mother. But maybe she could change the world they lived in. Even if she would have to become the devil herself.

I have to protect Anna.

Winter holidays were around the corner, approaching all too quickly. In addition to sending out the last of her college applications, Elsa was juggling term papers and end-of-term projects, with worries about Hans and Henry constantly plaguing the back of her mind, although her threat seems to have temporarily deterred them from bothering herself or Anna. She did know that eventually Hans would realize that her threat was empty and return to hounding her with intensified ferocity.

Anna must have noticed her exhaustion and forgiven her intrinsically for her unintended indifference and therefore was adamant about dragging her out for last minute Christmas shopping.

"Elsa, it's almost your birthday, and you've barely eaten or slept this past month. I'm worried about you! Not only will you not talk to me, but you look like a ghost! You need some time for yourself or you're going to shrivel up and turn into an old prune before you're even sixteen!"

Elsa had almost been able to refuse, until Anna gave her an irresistible pout along with the most adorable puppy dog eyes. She could afford one day off, she decided.

And so the two were at the mall, sipping slushies, eating ice cream and browsing various stores throughout the plaza. A jewelry store caught Anna's eye, and she dragged her sister inside.

Anna had always been interested in shiny things, ever since they were kids. Elsa suspected it was one of the reasons she loved the snow and ice; there was something special about the way they glinted and shimmered in the presence of the sun. She approached the store with a bounce in her step, admiring the various necklaces and charms, as Elsa shuffled after her.

Elsa never minded accompanying her sister; it was always a pleasure to watch the younger girl's features radiantly come to life when she found something that piqued her interest. As Anna danced spiritedly about the store, Elsa realized that she had been so caught up in her work that she had completely forgotten to get her sister a Christmas present. Mentally slapping herself for her carelessness, she looked around more actively, trying to find something that was both thoughtful and creative, something that embodied how precious her little sister was to her.

Her gaze lingered on one of the signs in the store. Design your own necklace! Tell us, or show us, exactly what you want, and we will cater directly to your needs! Satisfaction guaranteed, or you get a full refund!

She motioned to one of the attendants.

"Yes, how can I help you, young lady?"

"How does this work, exactly?" She pointed to the sign. "Do I draw a picture of the necklace that I want, and you produce it for me?"

"Yes, precisely. If you tell us exactly what you want, what shape, what colour, what materials you wish for us to use, we will create it to your satisfaction."

"Do you have a pen and paper that I could use?"

"Absolutely, Miss." The attendant handed her a blank sheet of paper and a ballpoint pen.

After making sure that Anna was still distracted by the various collections in the store, Elsa began to draw. She drew the first thing that came to mind, something that symbolized the bond between herself and her sister. Biting her lip to keep from smiling with satisfaction, she noted the dimensions and materials and handed the paper back to the attendant. "Could you create this for me?"

The woman glanced at the drawing and replied, "I don't see why not. Let me grab you an order form." She handed Elsa the form, "Please fill out your name and address, as well as your phone number and signature. You will have to pay a deposit today, and then the full price on the day of pick-up. What material would you like the chain to be of?"

"Silver, please." Elsa filled out her information as the woman scribbled notes down on the sheet of paper with her drawing.

"And the charm? Oh, I'm sorry, you wrote it here. I beg your pardon, miss, usually customers fail to write exactly what they want their order to be made of. You are a meticulous one! Please wait a moment while I get an estimate of the price."

Elsa nodded, and looked over at Anna again. The girl was gazing at a collection of penguins made from crystal. She noticed Elsa watching at her, and waved excitedly. Curious, Elsa approached her.

"Look, Elsa! Aren't they so cute? It's a family, and the dad is fishing, the mom is feeding the babies—oh, look at this one, he's stealing food from his brother! Oh, this is so adorable!"

She laughed. "Reminds me of that time you stole the last piece of my chocolate bar."

"Hey! Only because you weren't paying attention and it looked so lonely!" Anna stuck out her tongue. "You got me back by stuffing snow down my shirt, so we're even."

Elsa smiled fondly at the memory. She noticed the attendant returning to the counter. Searching for something that would divert her sister's attention, she spotted an assortment of Disney figures cut from diamond, with colours provided by rubies, emeralds and sapphires. As Anna bounded over to admire the workmanship, Elsa stealthily returned to the lady.

"Your order should be ready in approximately a week. Here is an estimate of the total cost, and here is how much you need to deposit today," the woman wrote down the numbers on the order form.

Elsa nodded, unconcerned with the cost of the item. They never had a spending limit; to them, it was one of the only advantages of being an Arendelle, their mother confident that they couldn't possibly spend more than the numbers their company made. Neither Elsa nor Anna was fond of flaunting their wealth, both of them understanding that this spending freedom was paid for with other liberties. Neither of them would have hesitated in the slightest to give up the limitless spending for a chance at a normal life.

Elsa handed the woman a handful of folded bills. The woman counted the money, gave her the change, and handed her the receipt and a copy of the order form.

"Please keep this in a safe place; you'll need it to show it to us again when you come in to pick up your item. Sign here, and we're done. Have a good day!"

"To you as well."

Elsa headed back to where Anna was, pleased that she had successfully placed the order without arousing suspicion in her sister. Anna was staring at a topaz creature that Elsa identified to be Simba.

The figurine reminded Elsa of something. "Say, Sis, what do you say we go find a couple more movies to spice up that abysmal collection we have in the theatre?"

Anna turned to her, eyes bright. "That's a great idea, Elsa! Let's go!" Looping their arms together, Anna swiftly pulled her older sister out of the jewelry store and toward the nearest movie retailer.

Elsa collapsed on her bed, physically drained from her expedition with her sister through the rows and rows of movies that they had missed over the years. She had only meant to buy a couple, but every time Anna gave her an adorable lopsided smile and looked at her with sad, hopeful eyes, Elsa melted internally and caved to her sister's suggestions. Needless to say, Anna was very persuasive.

Her sister followed her into the room, arms full of the treasures that they'd gathered today, letting them spill out onto the bed. "Which one should we watch first?" Anna asked excitedly.

Elsa pulled an arm over her eyes and tried to hide her smile, despite her exhaustion. "Not today, I still have a bunch of stuff that I need to catch up on today."

"But you're so tired!"

"Ah, Anna, you may have drained me physically, but you have invigorated me emotionally and mentally. Turn on my laptop for me; I need to at least finish one thing today."

"Fineee," Anna huffed, but complied with Elsa's request.

So intoxicated by the joy of the day's expenditures, Elsa had completely forgotten that she had set Skype to log her in as invisible automatically. It wasn't until too late that she realized her mistake.

She heard Anna grow still. "Frozen Storm?"